Posing Sequence for Family Photo Sessions

Posing Tips for your Family Photo Session | Austin Family Photographer

When you hire me as your Austin Family Photographer, I’ll walk you through your photo session with posing instructions and prompts. Then you never have to wonder “What do I do with my hands?“

family of five at mueller greenway park for photo session

Here is my general posing sequence I like to follow:

Family Posing Sequence

*First Location, Everyone Standing*

Whole Family together
Just parents
All siblings together
Each kid individually

Since I like to focus on connection and warmth in my family photo sessions, I’ll also instruct everyone to hug or hold onto the person next to them.

three siblings in flower garden for family photos in austin, texas by stephanie friedman photography

Then, I’ll move us to another location and repeat the sequence but with everyone sitting.

*Second Location, Everyone Sitting*

Whole Family together
Just parents
All siblings together
Each kid individually

After that sequence, in the second half of the session, I’ll add in some candids and more creative and/or silly poses. I’ll also do some other family combinations like Mom + the kids and Dad + the kids.

Each family is different and some are more responsive than others to less posed images.

siblings holding their sister up during a family photo session

Take a look at some of my gallery images below and check off how many different variations I got for this Family Photo Session at Mueller Southwest Greenway Park in East Austin.

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Please check out some of my favorite images below and contact me if you’d like to book your own Family photo session in Austin, Texas. Explore more photo sessions on my blog.

Client Feedback and Advice

What prompted you to have this photo session? We like to have family pictures taken annually to capture a moment in time with our three kids as they grow and change.
What do you plan to do with your digital photos?We will create holiday cards to send to friends and family, as well as print some out for our family photo wall.
How did you choose your location for your session? We like to mix things up year to year with both natural and urban settings. The Mueller Southwest Greenway is centrally located and had a great mix of native plants, water areas, and art sculptures sprinkled in.
What advice would you give to others planning a similar Family photo session? I like to create a Pinterest board to pull together clothing ideas and see how they look together. In spite of my planning, we still had a couple items that did not arrive in time and had to pivot at the last minute. I think it worked out ok though!
Anything else you’d like to add about working with Stephanie Friedman Photography? Stephanie is a pro! She is positive, encouraging, flexible, and funny. I am always amazed that she can get everyone to authentically smile – even sometimes together!

Stephanie Friedman first picked up a camera in high school, went on to study photojournalism in college (Hook ‘Em), then worked as a photo researcher in educational publishing for over 20 years.

During all that, she’s been photographing Families and Seniors for the last 10 years. You can count on her to be communicative and organized before your session. She’ll help you feel relaxed and confident during your session. And you’ll have a smile on your face after your session once you see your new photos.

Interested in Booking a Family Photo Session?

Contact Me

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